Here’s another one of my accidental dinners. I found a great recipe for pot roast using 2 lbs. of chuck roast and went to the market to get all the ingredients only to realize when I got home it called for red wine and I didn’t have any. How that was possible is a whole other story. Once again, I improvised. I had some Italian beer in […]
Every time I go to Sur La Table I see the display of Himalayan Salt Plates and I’m tempted to buy one but I stop myself because I have no room in my kitchen for any more gadgets. But last time I was there I couldn’t resist–I broke down–and am I ever glad. The result was an out-of-this-world shrimp dinner. Not to mention, over time it will just erode away […]
I love Cinco De Mayo! It’s the best excuse to eat lots and lots of great Mexican food–especially Carnitas! I know, cooking carnitas is a bit time-consuming, but you know it’s worth it after the first bite. Years ago a butcher gave me this recipe and I’ve never found a better one. The carnitas is juicy, moist and extremely flavorful with just a bit of a crispy edge. That’s […]
I’ve always wanted to grill a whole fish but never really knew where to begin. It all came together last weekend at my Farmer’s Market when I found this Branzino just waiting for me at A & H Fish–they have the best fish around! I bought the fish…then thought…now what! Thank goodness my friend Stella from MangiConAmore was at her booth next door and told me all about Branzino, a Mediterranean […]
When Jake come home for Spring Break he had two priorities–Javier’s for lunch and then the market to pick up what he needed to make catfish Po’Boys and fried chicken. I did mention he’s currently living in The South, right? All I can say is you can take Jake out of Southern California, but you can’t take So Cal out of Jake. Only a So Cal kid (currently a Junior […]
I know…it’s St. Patrick’s Day and you were expecting Corned Beef and Cabbage. But to be perfectly honest, boiled meat is just not one of my favorites. I love the potatoes and cabbage, but the meat…well…not so much. Instead I made a healthy and really tasty alternative–BBQ’d Soy-Ginger-Lime Chicken on a super easy Asian slaw. On St. Patrick’s Day wear something green if you don’t want to get pinched […]
We had perfect BBQ weather last weekend and I knew it was time for kabobs. For some reason my Greek-inspired chicken kabobs have always been in your top ten favorites, so knowing you like them, I decided to make these Thai Pork Kabobs with a great dipping sauce that doubles as the marinade. The flavors are perfect! I had lots of cilantro in the garden and a new jar of […]
Sit Down Sunday Dinner. Do families still do that? I hope so. Some of my best memories are of Sunday Dinner at Tom Bergfeld’s grandma’s house in Fresno. She was famous for her pot roast! She made it every Sunday for the entire Bergfeld clan. But the most amazing part was she cooked the whole meal all by herself until she was in her 80’s! For some unknown reason, grandma […]
I wanted to make a really special Valentine’s Day dinner this year and was torn between Shepard’s Pie and Beef Bourguignon. I guess you could say my decision was made for me when I realized I forgot to buy mushrooms. I decided to substitute peas for mushrooms and call it British Beef Bourguignon–you know how the Brits love their peas. When it all came together it was so […]
This was one of those “accident” meals. I was planning to make an Italian-inspired pork tenderloin but when I opened the package, there were two tenderloins inside so I decided to make one Italian and one Mexican. I make a really good pork and green chili but wanted to try something different with this tenderloin. When I realized I didn’t have any yellow onions, only two red ones, I went […]